English Premier League

English Premier League 2022-23: What to Watch for in Matchweek 1

Here's everything you need to know about of Matchweek 1

English Premier League 2022-23: What to watch for in Matchweek 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

No, you’re not crazy – the new English Premier League season is already almost upon us.

After Manchester City lifted the league title a little over two months ago, teams have completed their preseason schedules and are ready to start the grind of the new campaign. 

With the first game on the calendar come and gone, here’s everything you need to know about Matchweek 1 of the 2022-23 EPL season:

When does the 2022-23 English Premier League season start?

The 2022-23 EPL season started with Arsenal visiting Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Friday. The Gunners left with a comfortable 2-0 win.

After falling two points shy of UEFA Champions League qualification last season, Mikel Arteta’s revamped squad will be hoping for a strong start to the campaign. Palace finished three points off a top-10 spot in the standings last year and will also hope to rebound early in the season.

This was the only contest on Friday. There were six games on Saturday, followed by three on Sunday to end Matchweek 1.  

What are the key games from Matchweek 1 of the 2022 English Premier League season?

None of England’s “Big 6” will be squaring off in Matchweek 1, but there were several games of note. Everton narrowly avoided relegation last season and looked to kick off the year in a big way with a win over Chelsea on Saturday. They were unable to complete the upset at home, losing 1-0.

On Sunday, City picked up where they left off with a 2-0 win over West Ham led by newcomer Erling Haaland. The Hammers nearly topped Manchester United in the table last year, but still qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League tournament. Back in Manchester, United lost 2-1 to Brighton. 

When is Erling Haaland’s English Premier League debut?

Haaland made his English Premier League debut against West Ham on Sunday in style. The 22-year-old put on a show at London Stadium, scoring a penalty kick in the first half and before putting his speed on full display with a second-half goal to put the match away.

After coming over from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, he’ll have a ton of eyes on him as he’s one of the best young players in the world. He had a rough outing against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, which included this egregious miss, so it’ll be interesting to see how adapts to life in England.

How will the 2022 World Cup affect the English Premier League schedule?

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar taking place in November rather than the usual time of summer, leagues around the world will be taking a pause to allow players to compete on soccer’s grandest stage. 

The EPL will have its last round of games on the weekend of Nov. 12 and 13 before pausing games until Boxing Day on Dec. 26. If a Premier League player makes it to the World Cup Final, they will have only eight days to recover since the last game of the tournament is scheduled for Dec. 18. 

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